The following are commonly asked questions on the procedures and rules regarding our driver education program.

REGISTRATION AND PRELIMINARY STEPS FOR DRIVER EDUCATION ....

Q: Do I obtain the learner permit prior to registration?A: Not necessarily. If the student is 15 at the time registration, we will issue you a CDE form (Certificate of enrollment) that they will need to obtain their Driver Education Learner Permit. You will typically receive this from us via email within 24 hours of your enrollment. Once you have received the certificate from us, the student will be allowed by the BMV to take the written test to obtain their permit. If the student is 16 or older at the time of registration, the CDE will not be needed to acquire the permit.

Q: What identification does my teen need to provide to the BMV when obtaining the Driver Education Learner Permit?A: Check out our BMV Information and Forms within our FAQ section of our website for more detailed information.

Q: Does my teen take a Written Exam at the BMV in order to get their Driver Education Learner Permit?A: Yes, the BMV requires that students pass a written exam BEFORE a Learner Permit will be issued. They will however be required to pass a driving exam with either Drive Zone or the BMV prior to applying for their operator license.

Q: What is the cost of our program?

A: Costs of the course can vary dependent upon how each student chooses to complete the course. Please see our list of current programs under the What does it Cost? section for more details on pricing and program options.

Q: Is the course fee due on or before the course begins?A: No. Although many parents pay this course fee on or before the first class, we also allow the parent to make payments for an additional charge. Feel free to discuss this payment plan with our administative staff.

Q: Is six hours really enough time to teach someone to drive? A: Usually. You will likely be surprised at how much progress a student can make even after just the first drive! However, if you feel as though you would benefit from additional instruction, or if you just don't have time or are unable to practice with the student, additional hours can be purchased from the registration options page.

IN-CAR INSTRUCTION....

Q: Once we have the Driver Education Learner Permit, when can our teen begin practice driving?A: As soon as the student has passed the written test and received their permit, they can begin driving with certain restrictions. Please see the Indiana Graduated License Law for more information on who they can drive with, and when.

Q: When will my teen begin in-car instruction with Drive Zone? During their course or following the completion of their classroom?A: This is completely up to you, however, in our experience, it seems to be more beneficial to start the behind the wheel instruction around the date of the student's 16th birthday. Since there is a skills test that must be passed before a license is issued, it tends to be more beneficial to the student to have completed his/her instructional hours more recently so that they can focus more on driving, and less on trying to remember something they were taught six months prior.

Q: Is the in-car instruction completed within the classroom hours?A: No. Our Driver Education program is 36 hours. Our various course schedules comprise of 30 hours of classroom curriculum. We have 10 class sessions in our Standard Course. Additionally, we schedule 6 drives at 1 hour each one-on-one with a professional instructor. We generally complete no more then 2 drives per week. It is important that your teen has time to practice new skills with their parent between their drives with our instructor. We strive to develop a drive schedule that meets you and your teen's availability and schedule.

Q: Will there be any other teens in the car during training drives with Drive Zone?A: NO. We feel very strongly that your investment in driver education for your teen, requires personal one-to-one driver training. We do not believe that a new teen driver in the back seat, observing another new teen driver behind the wheel, offers any benefit at all. Driving involves focus, and other teen(s) in the car are a distraction to the student driver. Your teen DESERVES this individual attention.

FOLLOWING THE COMPLETION OF DRIVER EDUCATION....

Q: Once my teen has completed Driver Education, are they required to take a Drive Exam? If so, can they take their drive test with Drive Zone after they have completed their program?A: Yes, all applicants for a driver license must take a Drive Exam. Drive Zone is an approved Drive Test Waiver school which allows us to offer the road test to any students completing with a passing grade in both the driving and classroom portion.

Q: When can my teen schedule this Waiver Drive Exam with Drive Zone?A: If already 16, we encourage them to schedule this test near the point that they have held their permit for 180 days. The important consideration is since this is the only physical drive test that they will ever take, they need to be ready to complete the skills without any guidance from parent or examiner.

Q: What if my teen fails the Waiver Drive Test with Drive Zone?A: For one, they will be informed of the elements and skills that they are not performing safely and skillfully. They are allowed to attempt the waiver test up to three times

Q: What is the driving log? A: Students will log 50 hours or driving in a variety of situations on a BMV form. This form will be submitted to the BMV upon application for their Driver's License. This may include Drive Zone instructional time along with practice time with parents/guardians. It is the families responsibility to keep this form.

TECHNOLOGY QUESTIONS

Q: How do I log in to the Drive Zone website? A: It is no longer necessary to do so. We will schedule your drives for you!